Case Study: Impulse Modernizes City of Corona's Network and Communications

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Industry

Public Sector

Challenge

The City of Corona was struggling to upgrade its antiquated data network and disparate communications systems across 30 municipal locations. The city needed to switch to a network that offered redundancy and flexibility, as well as a voice solution that could seamlessly integrate with its existing Microsoft solutions – without disrupting operations for around 900 employees.

Results

Impulse implemented a fully managed SD-WAN solution with Cato Networks across all locations, freeing up 20 hours weekly for Corona's IT teams while reducing troubleshooting time and infrastructure costs. Additionally, Impulse migrated the city from its voice PBX to MS Teams Phone, with customized department-by-department implementation and training to ensure a smooth transition.

https://www.coronaca.gov/

25%

Faster Troubleshooting

20

Hours Saved Per Week

10%

Decrease in Costs

"Collaborating with Impulse has allowed Corona's IT staff to focus on high-priority initiatives within the city, while ensuring the efficient management of our core infrastructure."

chrismcmasters

Chris McMasters
CIO, City of Corona

"Collaborating with Impulse has allowed Corona's IT staff to focus on high-priority initiatives within the city, while ensuring the efficient management of our core infrastructure."

chrismcmasters

Chris McMasters
CIO, City of Corona

"Collaborating with Impulse has allowed Corona's IT staff to focus on high-priority initiatives within the city, while ensuring the efficient management of our core infrastructure."

chrismcmasters

Chris McMasters
CIO, City of Corona

casestudy-corona-2

About the City of Corona

Corona is a vibrant and culturally diverse community located in the heart of Southern California. In addition to the city's municipal services, Corona boasts numerous amenities to provide a better quality of life for its 160,000 residents, including over 394 acres of parks, sports fields, playgrounds, tennis courts, libraries, and more.

The Challenge

The City of Corona faced mounting pressure as its aging technology infrastructure struggled to keep up with the evolving needs of the community. An antiquated data network connected by microwave links had become a liability, as it lacked the redundancy necessary for mission-critical municipal services and the flexibility to accommodate future upgrades. With impending decisions about upgrading its microwave radio connections and addressing remote site connectivity issues, the IT team needed a vendor that could modernize its approach to networking. 

Compounding these challenges was an aging Cisco Call Manager PBX system that required costly maintenance agreements and created a disconnect with the city's existing Microsoft Teams collaboration platform. The prospect of migrating voice services across every department – each with unique needs and workflows – without disrupting city operations presented a complex technological and logistical challenge for Corona's already-stretched IT resources. In addition to this, the City of Corona needed to upgrade its contact solution to one with robust reporting and automation features which the Call Manager could not accommodate.

The Solution

Impulse implemented Cato Networks' cloud-based SD-WAN solution across all 30 city locations, allowing for the phased replacement of microwave connections without service disruption while providing flexibility for future technology additions. The Impulse team also developed a department-by-department migration plan to transition the city from Cisco Call Manager to MS Teams Phone by reviewing call routing requirements and creating custom training materials specifically designed to maximize user adoption and satisfaction. In addition to this, the upgrade migration to MS Teams Phone allowed the City to enhance its contact center capabilities by integrating Five9 Contact Center Software platform.

During implementation, Impulse's project managers handled the complex details of discovery, porting, and onboarding. Impulse continues to provide ongoing management and support services, including first-tier technical assistance for the Cato Networks solution and dedicated voice system management for all moves, adds, and changes.

"Partnering with Impulse helped us successfully enhance our IT team's capabilities." - Chris McMasters, CIO, City of Corona

The Results

With Impulse's help, the City of Corona has transformed its technology infrastructure from a potential liability into a strategic asset. The modernized network and communications systems now provide the reliability, security, and flexibility needed to support the city's operations today while enabling growth for tomorrow's challenges. Corona now enjoys:

  • A 25% reduction in troubleshooting time for network issues
  • 20 hours per week of IT team time freed to focus on strategic initiatives
  • A 10% decrease in costs for network upgrades and maintenance
  • Redundant connectivity for all 30 municipal locations using Cato SASE
  • Happy, well-trained phone users across every department
  • Improved call routing and contact center platform for improved outcomes and higher employee satisfaction

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